AFSCME Working to Avoid Service Cuts
Suggest your cost-saving idea to the State
Message from President Danny Homan:

The good news is that George W. Bush is finally leaving office. The bad news is that because of the wrongheaded policies of the last eight years, we are suffering through a national economic crisis that is severely impacting state and local government budgets.

AFSCME international is working hard with the incoming Obama administration and Congress to pass a multi-billion dollar economic recovery package that includes substantial aid to states and local government as quickly as possible. But in the meantime, we need to do everything we can to minimize service cuts and save public employee jobs here in Iowa.

Governor Culver is required by State code to have a balanced State budget and has asked state agencies and the Regents to cut $180 million to bring the current fiscal year into balance. There is $620 million in the reserve fund. But if the economic downturn continues, more cuts will be coming in the next fiscal year.

We have had extensive discussions with the Governor’s office and they are willing to work with us in finding cost-saving measures that will help us avoid layoffs and furloughs. The Governor has said that they will listen to our ideas. They have committed to making layoffs a last resort. But we must do our part.

Now is the time for all of us to step up with our ideas. You, the AFSCME local union leaders and member activists are the eyes and ears of the union on the ground. You know where money is being wasted on private contractors. You know where there are too many bosses supervising too few employees and pushing too much paper and red-tape. You know where new equipment or office furnishings or other non-essential items are being purchased at the direction of management. You know where the state could save money by streamlining bureaucratic procedures and ending unnecessary duplication of effort. You know better ways of doing your job that would save the state money.

In order to better collect these ideas, and quickly find the proposals with the biggest possible impact, AFSCME Iowa Council 61 has put an online form at the top of our the web site, www.afscmeiowa.org. Your ideas will go directly to my assistant, Mark Frymoyer, and each one will be considered carefully. The Council will then present the ideas to the Governor’s office, and if they are accepted, work with the administration on their implementation.

The fight to save jobs and preserve public services is a top priority of this Council. I know I can count on you to step up and help us win this fight.

Share the Blessings of the Season

Message from AFSCME Iowa Council 61 President Danny Homan
Dec. 24, 2008

On behalf of the Executive Board, we wish every one of our members and their families a wonderful Holiday Season.

As citizens of this Great State, blessed with many riches, we have an obligation to look after the homeless, the hungry, the sick, the aged and infirm, and the poor. This is what we do as public employees.  Our private sector employees also provide valued services to the citizens of this Great State.

We are entering a time of great uncertainty due to the state’s budget crisis. There are lots of rumors flying around now, and people must be careful not to jump to conclusions.  The Council will be working with the Governor’s office and with all Local unions.  We must work together through this situation, standing up for each other and for the services we provide.

When you think about it, the budget is not just a spreadsheet of revenue and spending, it’s really a document that describes what we stand for as a society, and that’s how we should talk about it with our friends and neighbors.

One of the best things about being president of this great Union is that I meet a lot of great people who are really dedicated to helping their neighbors through their work.  Among our members are many everyday heroes who work to better our communities, our schools, our health centers and our public institutions.  There are many members who provide a great service to many citizens of this Great State.  We need to recognize and appreciate the value of our work, and have pride in it.

There is a lot of suffering around us now, especially in this difficult economy, but without what we call government, the suffering would be much worse.  Next time you hear someone complain about government, just tell them that government is simply the name we give for what we decide to do together.  And think about what our lives would be like without the public services we too often take for granted.

We also want to take this opportunity to thank all of the service men and women who are in the Armed Forces, especially those serving abroad. We also thank all of our veterans, who served this Great Country in the years past.

We are entering into a new year that will bring many challenges to us all.  I know we can master these challenges if we stand together as union brothers and sisters.  Enjoy the holiday festivities and we’ll see each other safely into 2009 and beyond, as one Great Union.

Have a Happy Holiday Season! And Solidarity Forever!

Thanks to everyone for all the good work to you do!

A Thanksgiving message to AFSCME Iowa Council 61 members from Pres. Danny Homan:

On behalf of the Executive Board, we wish every one of our members and their families a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. The Executive Board and leadership of AFSCME Iowa Council 61 send you this holiday message.

This is the day that once a year we count our blessings. Above all, we are grateful to be living in the greatest country in the world, where we can enjoy and act on our freedoms. We hope that this holiday season brings you and your loved ones many happy and joyous times.

First, we want to thank the many dedicated AFSCME members who donated their time and money to help families devastated by the summer’s floods. Because of you, we were able to help many Iowa AFSCME families cope with the crisis and rebuild their lives.

We also want to take this opportunity to thank all of the service men and women who are in the Armed Forces, especially those serving abroad, helping to keep us safe and protect our freedom. We also thank all of our veterans who did their service in the past years.

To the thousands of AFSCME Iowa public workers who do their duty every day, keeping our communities safe and healthy, helping educate our children, and taking care of the most vulnerable citizens, let us say that you have truly earned this day of rest. So enjoy your turkey and pumpkin pie. (I know I will.)

You are the ones that “make America happen.”

Have a great Thanksgiving!

Nov. 5, 2008

Six hundred AFSCME Iowa activists helped make our Get Out The Vote drive a great success. You are the heart and soul of the AFSCME green machine in Iowa. Because of you, we helped carry Iowa for Barack Obama, send Tom Harkin back to the Senate, re-elect our friends of labor to the Congress, and expand our majority in the state legislature. Thanks to all of you for a great job well done.

Nov. 4, 2008

Iowa working families voted overwhelmingly to send a message of change to Washington, D.C. The economic failures of the Bush administration caused millions of us to say “We need a new direction.”

The election of Barack Obama as president marks an historic victory for the American dream of equality and opportunity. For the first time in eight years, working families will have a friend of labor in the White House, someone who understands our struggles and our hope for a better day.

Turning around the economic crisis will require bold and decisive action. AFSCME Iowa Council 61 will work with the new Obama administration to support economic justice for working families.

A message from Pres. Danny Homan

"Iowa workers can't afford four more years of Bush-McCain"

Oct. 13, 2008

Your vote always matters. And this year, it matters a lot.

On Nov. 4^th, we have a historic opportunity and obligation to vote in the most important election I can remember. After eight years of Bush policy failures, from the Iraq war to the economy, our country is now on the brink of financial devastation. While we all hope that the economic rescue package just passed by Congress will stabilize things for awhile, it is now clear to everyone that we must have a radical change in our country’s direction if we are to avoid disaster.

Senator McCain cannot bring us the change we need. He has voted with President Bush 90% of the time, he wants to keep spending billions we can’t afford on a war in Iraq, he wants to tax our health care benefits, and he believes in further deregulation and privatization of the economy. This is just more of the same of what we’ve had for the last eight years –and Iowa workers can’t afford 4 more years of Bush-McCain.

Our union and the national AFL-CIO have endorsed Barack Obama because he has stood with working families. Barack Obama has a 100 percent AFSCME voting record. Barack Obama has stood with us on the issues we care most about – fully funding public services and supporting the workers who provide them, guaranteeing that everyone has quality, affordable health care, ending privatization, and restoring sane regulation and controls to our out-of-control financial system.

This election is about issues, and that’s what we need to focus on. If you are concerned about the economy, health care, and restoring America’s place in the world, make sure you learn the facts and about the candidates and then vote!

We also have important races on the state and local level. These races will directly impact your ability to win improvements in your working conditions, your paycheck and your health care benefits.

The members of our union who make up the PEOPLE committee have carefully considered the record and positions of all the state and local candidates. These are the candidates who support public services and working families in Iowa, and they deserve your support.